Capercaillie’s Karen to star in Bishopbriggs Thomas Muir tribute

Roy Beers

Bishopbriggs’ West Cadder Church is to host a star highlight of this year’s Thomas Muir Festival - a performance by Karen Matheson OBE.

The church is billed as a “unique, intimate venue with superb acoustics”, and is reckoned ideal for a unique evening of music from Karen, internationally renowned vocalist of Celtic super-group Capercaillie.

However the really special relevance of this particular building is its role in the history of Thomas Muir, the radical reformer from Huntershill who escaped banishment to Australia to pursue his revolutionary notions of democracy.

Embroiled in the bloody foment of the French Revolution - by that time under the sway of a murderous dictatorship - he is nevertheless remembered as a champion and martyr for human rights.

Muir was an elder at Cadder Church, but it was the democratic battle he waged on behalf of the congregation which went all the way to the Court of Session that is remembered.

The ruling allowed the congregation to have the right to choose their own minister and not have the local landlord impose his preference.

In 2015, Cadder Church commissioned artist Anita Pate to design and create the Thomas Muir Memorial Window to celebrate the church’s unique historic connection with Muir as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations.

Karen Matheson’s concert is on November 24, but is likely to sell out fairly quickly.

Tickets, priced £18 (or £17 early bird) are available at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/karen-matheson-thomas-muir-festival-2017-tickets-36511472798